As a PL and CCdr in days gone by in HMMWV TOW Motorized and AASLT Bn we used the SEE a lot. At every opportunity. Don't recall every having one break while working for me. Engineers frequently show up late complaining about not being released from the previous job on time. That was in the mid/late 80s when they were fairly new.

The improvement over digging a hole with an E-tool or a D-handle shovel is HUGE. The backhoe is really just a biggish shovel. As stated it's no a for heavy duty work (like digging a basement). The front bucket is not even as good for digging a a skid steer but if you break the topsoil up with the backhoe you can scoop the loose stuff. For digging in a HMMWV that is huge as you can then move the spoil you doug out well away from your position (cammo). The first thing that gives a prepared position away is a big field of black (etc) new topsoil behind the new hole you're sitting in. Just not practical to carry 20yards of dirt 500ft from you position by hand. The hydraulic tools were really neat. As I recall they had a hydrulic jackhammer that the operators used to breakup the hardpan at Yakima Firing Center so the could get a stat for the backhoe. The hydraulic chainsaw was neat.
Don't recall what other hyd. tools on board.

We LOVED the SEEs in 9ID (Ft Lewis) those Eng operators had a steady supply of adult beverages back at home station.

The SEE chassis is a Unimog univerally regarded as about the best offroad and overprice 4x4 ever built. Could do a lot with a decent SEE for offroad play if you stripped off the front/back attachments.

Nice to see they were put to good use and LOVED. The stripped truck ends up looking like a 406.

I don't have a SEE but I have the basic 406 trucks, sets of back hoes and front loaders, and various implements. One loader and hoe came from one of the 6 original prototype SEE's, built on a 406 'mog chassis, Case version.

IMHO there are two modes of practical use for an SEE. 1- use it as intended (with loader and backhoe) or 2- strip it down to a truck. There's no convenient off-the-shelf way to add a 3-point lift and implements to a SEE, but of course with ingenuity most anything can be accomplished.

For your instant gratification here are some pictures of actual use here on the farm. If just a little search effort was expended, there are thousands of pictures of Unimogs at work on the web, including the SEE model.

The picture of the white 'mog with the winch on the back and strap running backwards was taken at an offroad park. I had taken off the front loader and backhoe and gone to Windrock OHV to recover a Land Rover that had been stuck on a horrible trail for 4 days. The Rover and a G-Wagen had gone to point of no return, had breakage/stuckage and on the fourth day they were both out (thanks to Unimogs).

Originally Posted by jluv1185

Yeah, but they maybe digging a bigger hole... Seriously though, I would like to see some in real world (civy) use. Building house pads, digging ponds, digging up a tree, putting in a septic tank, etc. I know someone has done something non military with one...the question is, did they video it?

Thanks for the pictures. As stated earlier I know google can provide endless info about pretty much everything. I was hoping a member would have photos of their own unit in action kinda like what you just posted so I can ask questions about how the machine performed. Now, I assume you did all this work you posted pictures of since you said it was " here on the farm ". I know it's not a SEE but how did your mog handle the loads of gravel? Is the bush hog hooked directly onto a pto shaft on the truck? (I didnt know they had one)

The gravel weighs about 3.5 tons for a bed full and the truck hauls that just fine. The quarry is only 6 miles away and I was getting the loads for about $20. That's really cheap when hauling your own. I was making 10 trips a day during the road building phase.

That mower in the photo is my older drag-behind model. It mows most anything but is awkward in tight fields. The newer, bigger mower is a 7 ft heavy duty 3-point type.

Most 406 models have front and rear PTO's to standard 1-3/8" 6 spline (rated at 75 hp, selectable 540 RPM or 1000), front and rear hydraulics (two circuits each end) with hand controls on the steering column, and some have a hi-cap hydraulic system for heavy users like a backhoe or hydraulic crane. I have a 40 ft crane with a pole auger and hydraulic winch (a Pitman Polecat brand) as adapted for the 406 but it's a long term project.

The 406's can use any 3-point implements so there's really no limit to what can be done with them. With all the big accessories left behind they actually drive quite well at 50-55 mph (14.5 x 20 tires). The OM-352 engine is made to run wide open all day long if needed.

Somewhere here I have pictures of a friend's SEE that he took the loader and hoe off and made an 'expedition' type vehicle out of. He had it on a week long trail ride in Moab, UT, a couple of years ago. Nice vehicle!

Originally Posted by jluv1185

Thanks for the pictures. As stated earlier I know google can provide endless info about pretty much everything. I was hoping a member would have photos of their own unit in action kinda like what you just posted so I can ask questions about how the machine performed. Now, I assume you did all this work you posted pictures of since you said it was " here on the farm ". I know it's not a SEE but how did your mog handle the loads of gravel? Is the bush hog hooked directly onto a pto shaft on the truck? (I didnt know they had one)

Drum and Barstow FLU-419 questions.

Okay, If anyone just won a UNIMOG at Drum I can drive it to you if you get me a return flight back to Watertown, NY, pay for fuel, and give me a dollar per mile I drive it to you (i have a ton of leave saved up). Holly moses, those things sold like hot cakes! There were 3ea at Drum and 2ea at Barstow. If you didn't watch the auction, the one at Barstow sold for $24,505 but didn't list that it was overhauled; however the engine data plate shows it was "Requalified at RRAD" in 2006 (see picture-). Does this not mean it went through the life cycle program? It must have right? The Drum SEEs went for over $35K each! I only know aviation maintenance (UH 60 MTP) but if a vehicle is "requalified" at Red River Army Depot, doesn't that mean it was overhauled to a certain specification (like new, sorta new, o rings replaced). If I send an aircraft into a phase or reset program, I pick it up with two engines that have a "HIT" Health Indicator Test of 1.0, or "perfect." So, why the disparity in the end prices? Even the one at Drum that "didn't run" cleared $35,000 (all the ones at Drum listed their 2002, 2003, 2004 RRAD overhaul dates in the description, but Barstow didn't list their overhaul dates at all). I got bumped out of my comfort zone early in the bidding at Drum. I'm hoping with my questions answered I can pick one up at another location when one becomes available. Also, what is the value of the FLU419's BII? The ones at Drum had all their BII: Hyd drill, Hyd hammer, Hyd chain saw but the ones in CA had no BII. Please don't tell me to FEDLOG the price...what would you buy or sell your BII for reasonably speaking? Thanks in advance for the help. The earlier guy that got one at $13,500 is one lucky fella. Sorry for the quality of the pic, I paused the video and did a screen shot and this was the best I could do for you.Attachment 416119Attachment 416118

Last edited by AV8R; 03-15-2013 at 18:14.
Reason: misspelled "won" as "one"

I use the ripper on the backhoe to take the surface roots out. Then dig on one side and push the stups of 18 inch pine stumps over and pull em out. Works fine. The chain say drops them fine.

__________________________________________________ _________pgLiving under a kleptocracy. ____________________________________________No trees were killed in the making of this email...however, a large number of electrons were horribly inconvenienced.___________________________________

okay, I just picked my flu419 up. Works greats, drives great. I need a new windshield, does anybody know where I can pick one up without getting kicked out of the house. (actually my wife loves the thing)